Many schools - one book 2021

An exhibition as part of the ZfL project "Many schools, one book" about the successful climate fiction thriller "Cryptos" by Viennese author Ursula Poznanski.

As part of the LESEPUNKTE project days "Many schools, one book", 33 young people from eight LESEPUNKTE cooperating schools from Cologne, Darmstadt, Viersen and Lahr came together virtually in March 2021 to talk about current youth literature.

In cooperation with the Center for Teacher Education at the University of Cologne and the KLIMA ARENA Sinsheim, future scenarios and climate protection aspects were discussed and creative ideas were developed. The literary framework for the project days was provided by the climate fiction thriller "CRYPTOS" (Loewe Verlag) by bestselling Austrian author Ursula Poznanski.

The novel is set in a time when, due to climate catastrophes, planet Earth is barely habitable. Therefore, most people take refuge in virtual worlds, where they can live in fantasy worlds or even recreated places like Venice, which has now been swallowed up by the sea, and do not have to put up with the hostile reality. The protagonist Jana is a so-called world designer and is responsible for creating and managing worlds so that people can spend their time there as they please. When suddenly an unforeseen incident occurs in Jana's favorite world Kerrybrook, which even has threatening effects on reality, the exciting novel by the bestselling author really takes off.

During this year's project days, Ms. Poznanski gave a reading in virtual space, which was attended by more than 100 spectators. On the following day, the KLIMA ARENA Sinsheim organized interesting and instructive digital workshops for the project participants on the topic of the environment and climate protection. Through exciting experiments and creative interactive maps, the participants learned a lot about production and supply chains, the connection with CO2 emissions, and the consequences of the polar ice cap melt. In the main part of the project days, the students had the opportunity to be creative in illustration, writing and theater workshops, to express their impressions and fantasies about the book and the climate workshops, to write them down or bring them to life through drawings. Our participants were guided by professional workshop leaders: Art teacher Manja Zanstrow, design student Charlotte Kalthoff and theater teacher Natascha Albert. The results and impressions from the workshops and the project days will be presented virtually in addition to the analog exhibition.

>> Digital exhibition (german)

Contact

Dr. Gesine Boesken
Center for Teacher Education
Deputy Managing Director / Project Management LESEPUNKTE
Phone +49 221 470 3404, e-mail: gesine.boesken@uni-koeln.de

Exhibition location

University and City Library Cologne, display case in front of the cafeteria, Universitätsstraße 33, 50931 Cologne, Germany
Currently open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays/Sundays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.